Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-04-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our regular correSp0nGentD
WASHINGTON, April IL, 1857

WASHINGTON, April IL, 1887.
During the Democratic Administra-
ton many of the musty regulations
with which Republican official life had
hedged itself in have been Overhauled,
and where there was no good reason for
their existence have been discontinued.
They have not all been relegated TO the
past however. The rule which closes
the Government Department buildings
to visitors at two O'Clock is still IN
force, much TO the Inconvenience of
strangers.
1t is a serious disappointment to yis-
itors here only for a few days, and try
ing to get rs much sightseeing rs pos
sible into that time, to be shut ont ut
so early an hour from so many places or
interest. They feel, and have right
TO feel, that in peoples Government
the peoples convenience ought 10 he
considered little and that they should
be given what pleasure they can get
from the corridors, elevators, museums
and curiosity rooms Of the buildings rs
long as they are open FOR business.
Speaking of sightseeing III the De-
partments, often think how monoton-
Gus must be the d&tieS of those officials
who are delegated 10 exhibit the OBJ
iects of interest to visitors. But they
show wonderful freshness about the
time-Worn business. There Is nothing
perfunctory about the man who eX-
hibits the rogues' gallery, or the piles
Of counterfeit money, or the secret SER
vice room, and only Il person who has
party of friends to escort him there a.
bout once Il year can realize how many
times he has told the same things oyer,
yet always with az unfailing brightness
of expression aud QuaintneSS OF humor.
Senator COckrell'S investigating COM
mittee ithe Senate Select Committee
which is now probing the methods OF
work in the different EXecutiyeDepart-
mentS of the Government has under
taken gigantic task. but it will make
an elaborate report of its labors some
time in the future. The Missouri Sen.
ator is a very conscientious, painS-tak-
ing man. and he is giving the public Of
fees much annoyance and 40 little un-
eaSineSs. lie wants TO know ton
know and the number of things the
public don't know and that Senator
Cockrell will have a great deal OF
tro uble in finding out, i5 astonishing.
The complaint is often made now
that there is too much "red tape" and
that the employees OF the Government
have very few hours to work, and very
little work within those hours as com
pared with persons employed in similar
capacities by private business concerns.
But such annoying features are lnSep
arably connected with the theory OF
Government work. 1t must be put
through by processes as nearly mechanr
ical as possible, so that the death or re-
mOyal of clerk may rot throw the en-
tire Office out Of gear, and so that the
dishonesty Of any one employe will he
discovered when the work on which he
practiced is turned over to another for
the next stage Of Its progress.
All this involves the reduction of
business to infinite detail and its dis
trihution among multitude Gf people.
If Senator Cockrell and his commttee
can find way of simplifying these pro-
cesses their discovery will be warmly
welcomed. The results of their labor
cannot fail to be of value and will GER
tainly be Of interest. abOunding in in
formation which, to the general public
is now ia the nature of a sealed book.
The committee Is not expected to
pass judgement upon the civil service
law, but incidentally the operations of
| the law will come under the puryieW of
the committee. and the latter will be
expected to answer such questions as
the following is the Government any
better served-the pubic business more
rapidly expedited, the morals or The
methods of the several Departments in
any respect the gainer-now that what
is called the "spoils system" has been
done away with
II is a matter Of no small importance.
The people are told that the civil service
law, in Its classified application, ,is WCrk.
| ing wonders Of reform, but they have
only hearsay evidence to that effect.
They are assured that il is doing away
with great deal of favoritism relieving
the appointing power or much emhar-
rassment, purifying the channels of
patronage, and elevating the standard
of clerical merit. They are interested
in knowing whether civil service re-
form is really all that its friends CLAIM,
or whether it is sham and a humbug
as lis enemies insist. Senator Cock
rell's committee. with so good an op-
portunity could find out all about it.
. no s